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Bridging Tech and Creative Photography
Bridging Tech and Creative Photography
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Photo Essays

Stepping Out of Your Head with Street Photography: The Meditative Process

Chris Gampat
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10/12/2017
3 Mins read
20160312-S0514886-Edit

Last Updated on 10/13/2017 by Chris Gampat

My name is Tom Souzer and I’m a self taught photographer from Pittsburgh PA . I’ve been shooting the streets of Pittsburgh for about two years now. I tend to focus on emotions, expressions, and fleeting moments. I personally like to not be seen while I’m out shooting (although it does happen from time to time) because I want to capture moments as they happen. I edit mostly in black and white using lightroom then Silver Efex Pro. I shoot with a fuji x pro 1 using either a 18mm or 23mm lens. When people hear that I shoot digital they automatically think that I’m using autofocus but I would say 99% of the time I’m zone focusing.

Why did you get into photography?

To capture moments. I used to take a lot of photos of my everyday life when I was younger. Whether I was out with friends or walking in the woods in my hometown I usually had a camera.

What photographers are your biggest influences?

So many! Friedlander, Ed Templeton, Troy Holden, Winogrand, Bill Burke, Mark Cohen, Ted Pushinsky, the guys over at Hamburger Eyes, Vivian Maier. I could go on and on…

How long have you been shooting?

Since I was like 16 or 17, I took my first darkroom class in 9th grade. So like off and on for 15 years or so!

Why is photography and shooting so important to you?

It’s relaxing it’s almost like I can step out of my head while I’m out wandering the streets.

Do you feel that you’re more of a creator or a documenter? Why?

I think I’m documenting a time during a big change in Pittsburgh. We’re slowly becoming a tech city with uber and google moving in. The city has changed a lot since I first started walking around downtown. 

What’s typically going through your mind when you create images?

I’m usually just focusing on things happening in front of me. I try not to think too much. I used to think too much and I would miss shots. Now I tend to just take the photo and think after I take the photo.

Tell us about your processes both mentally and mechanically?

My process depends on the day really. Sometimes it’s more of a longer process than other days. If I’m feeling a bit nervous on a certain day I usually have to push through that. So mentally it takes a little more work to put the camera to my eye and shoot the photo. It’s funny you would think that feeling would go away but it really never does. Once you get a shot though that all changes. It’s a great feeling to leap that hurdle.

Want to walk us through your processing techniques?

Sure! So I shoot in RAW on my fuji x pro 1, once I get home I’ll hop on my laptop and drop the keepers into lightroom. I usually turn my highlights down and change blacks accordingly. I’ll export everything to silver effex pro and use one of my presets that I edited to my liking. Thats about it.

 

What made you want to get into your genre? Tell us a bit about the gear you use and how you feel it helps you achieve your creative vision

I’ve always had an interest in people. I moved to the city around five years ago to be a bike messenger. While I was out working I would see all of these interesting things happening. Interesting faces, events, and emotions with the city in the background and I knew I had to capture it. So I use a fuji x pro 1 to take photos with while I’m downtown. It helps me achieve my creative vision in numerous ways – it’s inconspicuous, light, and the external controls allow me to change my settings on the fly.

What motivates you to shoot?

People! I love seeing moments happening and when I can capture one it’s one of the best feelings I can think of.

All photos and text by Tom Souzer. Used with permission. Be sure to follow Tom on Instagram @tomsouzer

 

black and white camera fujifilm Photography street photography Tom Souzer
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Chris Gampat

Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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